Cardboard pallet-type container/exhibitor

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a cardboard pallet-like container which also acts as an exhibitor.  
     The container is obtained from a single sheet of die-cut and folded cardboard by means of which the entire structure is obtained.  
     The container is a parallelepiped which is cut, on each lateral face, along a diagonal so as to obtain a base semi-container provided with legs and a top semi-container which can be fitted over the base semi-container.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation of application numberPCT/IB99/01372 filed on Aug. 2, 1999.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to a cardboard pallet-typecontainer/exhibitor.

[0003] In recent times, a type of large container made of a singlematerial is becoming increasingly widespread in packaging technology dueto ecological reasons and package-recycling laws.

[0004] This is in fact the only way to reduce the relative amount ofmaterial assigned to packaging and at the same time allow completerecycling of the package without having to separate parts made ofdifferent materials.

[0005] A second strongly felt requirement, particularly in the field ofpackaging meant for products to be distributed in shops andsupermarkets, is that the container must be able to also act as anexhibitor, so that the customer can directly take the packages containedtherein in the required amount.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The aim of the present invention is to provide a container whichcan be manufactured by using a single material and can be obtained witha very simple operation.

[0007] An important object is to provide a container which can be placeddirectly in the point of sale so that it constitutes the exhibitor forthe products contained therein.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a largecontainer which can be easily filled in an orderly fashion even withoutnecessarily resorting to automatic loading systems.

[0009] A further important object of the present invention is to providea container which can be easily and completely filled with productsintended for sale and then emptied manually or through automaticequipment and allows easier access.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide acontainer/exhibitor at low-cost.

[0011] A container/exhibitor made in folded cardboard is known from thedocument GB-A-2 027 413.

[0012] The aim and the objects of the present invention and others whichwill become apparent hereinafter are achieved instead by acontainer/exhibitor having the features of claim 1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Further characteristics and advantages of the present inventionwill become better apparent from the description of a preferredembodiment thereof, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example inthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0014]FIG. 1 is a top view of a cardboard sheet from which acontainer/exhibitor according to the present invention is to beobtained;

[0015]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container/exhibitor accordingto the invention, freshly obtained from the cardboard sheet of FIG. 1;

[0016]FIG. 3 is a view of the container/exhibitor of FIG. 2, dividedalong the die-cut lines into a base semi-container and a topsemi-container;

[0017]FIG. 4 is a view of the container/exhibitor, reassembled afterfilling with small products;

[0018]FIG. 5 is a view of the container/exhibitor, open and acting as anexhibitor;

[0019]FIG. 6 is a partially exploded perspective view of the lower partof the container/exhibitor of FIG. 5;

[0020]FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a detail of FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] With reference to the above figures, a container/exhibitoraccording to the present invention is generally designated by thereference numeral 10 and is obtained starting from a sheet 11 made ofcorrugated cardboard.

[0022] Said sheet 11 is substantially rectangular and has first mutuallyopposite sides 12 and second longer mutually opposite sides 13.

[0023] Proximate to one of said second sides 13, which forms the upperpart of the container/exhibitor 10 as will become apparent hereinafter,first parallel transverse slots 14 are provided at regular intervals.

[0024] At the other second side 13, which forms the lower part of thecontainer/exhibitor 10, second slots 15 are provided which are alsoparallel and define a central portion 16 and first and second portions17 and 18 to the sides of said central portion.

[0025] Tabs 19 are formed by cutting in said central portion 16, andeach tab has a free end 36 which is wider than the rest.

[0026] Shaped holes 37, associated with a retention tab 38, are formedin said first portions 17, each of which is arranged to one side of thecentral portion 16.

[0027] Said central portion 16 constitutes the bottom 20 of thecontainer/exhibitor, since it is adapted to be conveniently assembled,by means of suitable interlocks between the edges formed by said secondslots 15, to the second portions 18.

[0028] First pressed lines 21 which constitute guiding lines for foldingare formed in said cardboard sheet 11 along lines which are parallel tosaid first and second mutually opposite sides 12 and 13.

[0029] In particular, said first pressed lines 21 are spaced from thecorresponding second sides 13 by a distance which corresponds to theextension of the respective first and second slots 14 and 15.

[0030] It is observed that second mutually parallel pressed lines 39 areformed in said first portions 17, as will become apparent hereinafter.

[0031] Moreover, through cuts 22 are provided in the sheet 11 and form,as a whole, a discontinuous straight path so as to constitute guides fortearing.

[0032] Said through cuts 22 are obtained in the sheet 11 by die-cutting,preferably simultaneously with said first and second slots 14 and 15.

[0033] In particular, third transverse slots 23 are formed in thecardboard sheet 11 proximate to the regions where said through cuts 22change direction, as will become apparent hereinafter.

[0034] Starting from the cardboard sheet 11 and performing theappropriate folds according to the corresponding folding guides formedby said first pressed lines 21, and after performing the appropriateinterlocks between the edges formed by said first and second slots 14and 15, an internally hollow parallelepiped is obtained from which saidcontainer/exhibitor 10 is obtained by following said tearing guidesformed by the through cuts 22.

[0035] In particular, it is necessary to produce, on the first portions17, the folds formed by said second pressed lines 39 so as to give eachportion a U-like cross-section whose wings 40 diverge outward.

[0036] In this manner, each one of said first portions 17 constitutes afirst component for supporting legs, generally designated by thereference numeral 28, of the container/exhibitor 10.

[0037] Said container/exhibitor 10 comprises a base semi-container,designated by the reference numeral 24, which is constituted by saidflat bottom 20, provided with the legs 28 as better describedhereinafter, from which there protrude a low front wall 25, a quite highrear wall 26, and mutually opposite side walls 27 which are delimited inan upward region along the diagonals.

[0038] The upper profile of the front wall 25, of the rear wall 26 andof the side walls 27 is formed by the path of said through cuts 22.

[0039] In this constructive configuration, each one of said supportinglegs 28 is obtained by inserting in the corresponding first U-shapedportion 17 a second component 41 known per se, for example of the typedisclosed in EPA No. 96938186.2 of Nov. 12, 1996.

[0040] Thereafter, the assembly of the legs 28 is completed by insertingeach one of the tabs 19 in the wider part of the corresponding shapedhole 37, in which it is retained by interlocking, due to the weight ofthe container/exhibitor 10 and of the items contained therein, also inassociation with the retaining tab 38 which retains the correspondingfree end 36.

[0041] Said container/exhibitor 10 further comprises a topsemi-container 29 whose structure is complementary to the basesemi-container 24 and has a top surface 30 from which there extend afront wall 31, whose height substantially corresponds to the height ofthe rear wall 26 of the base semi-container 24, a rear wall 32 ofreduced height, and mutually opposite side walls 33, whose profilesfollow the profiles of the corresponding side walls 27 of the basesemi-container 24.

[0042] Said top semi-container 29 is suitable to be fitted over saidbase semi-container 24 thanks to the presence of said third transverseslots 23, which allow a suitable widening of the front wall 31 and ofthe side walls 33 of the top semi-container 29 with respect to thecorresponding walls 25 and 27 of the base semi-container 24.

[0043] The coupling of said top semi-container 29 on the basesemi-container 24 is possible by overlapping a portion that correspondsto the distance, schematically designated by the reference numeral 34,which lies in FIG. 2 between the profile of the rear wall 26 of the basesemi-container 24, formed by the through cuts 22, and the correspondingfirst pressed portion 21 that forms the fold between the top surface 30and the rear wall 32 of the top semi-container 29.

[0044] As regards the structure of the container/exhibitor 10, access toits interior is facilitated thanks to the low front wall 25 of the basesemi-container 24, so that the insertion of the products, schematicallydesignated by the reference numeral 35, and their subsequent removal canbe performed easily.

[0045] In practice it has been found that the present invention hasachieved its aim and all its objects.

[0046] It is in fact interesting to notice that the container/exhibitor10 obtained with the present invention is made of a single fullyrecyclable material.

[0047] It is also important to note the fact that saidcontainer/exhibitor 10 can be arranged directly in the point of sale,since it acts as an exhibitor for the products 35, of theindividually-packaged type, contained therein.

[0048] Accordingly, a purchaser can easily remove, in the chosen amount,the products that he intends to acquire.

[0049] A particular advantage is ensured with the present invention inthat a container has been provided which allows easy removal orinsertion of items therein or therefrom even in the vicinity of thebottom, since access to its interior is facilitated.

[0050] Another considerable advantage is clearly linked to the fact thatthe described container/exhibitor can be manufactured with machines andequipment which are conventional in the field, at a low cost and byusing a single recyclable material, preferably cardboard, by assemblingthe parts by interlock couplings without using adhesives.

[0051] The present invention is susceptible of numerous modificationsand variations, all of which are within the scope of the claims.

[0052] The materials used, so long as they are compatible with thecontingent use, as well as the dimensions, may be any according torequirements.

[0053] All the details may also be replaced with other technicallyequivalent elements.

[0054] The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. PD98A000192from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein byreference.

1. A container/exhibitor, obtained from a sheet (11) of die-cutcardboard folded along folding guides (21, 39) so as to form a hollowparallelepiped body, having a front, a rear, a top, a bottom and sidefaces, and constituted by a base semi-container (24) and a topsemi-container (29), obtained by dividing said body along tearing guides(22) forming a contour line of a slanting section plane which has such aslant so that said base semi-container (24) is provided with a low frontwall (25) and a high rear wall (26) and said top semi-container (29)with complementary front (31) and rear (32) walls, characterized in thatsaid body is further provided, at vertical edges thereof, with slots(23) intersecting said tearing guides (22) and allowing to partially fitsaid top semi-container (29) over said base semi-container (24), andwith legs (28), formed at the bottom (20) of said base semi-container(24), by suitably folding, along said folding guides (39), dedicatedportions (17) of said sheet (11).
 2. The container/exhibitor of claim 1, characterized in that said folding guides are provided by pressedlines (21, 39) and said tearing guides by through cuts (22), which arepre-formed in said cardboard sheet (11).
 3. The container/exhibitor ofclaim 2 , characterized in that said slots (23) are located afterdivision of said top (24) and base (29) semi-containers, at verticaledges of said top semi-container (29) so as to allow widening of thefront (31), and side (33) walls thereof with respect to thecorresponding walls (25, 26, 27) of the base semi-container (24), andthe partial fitting of the former over the latter.
 4. Thecontainer/exhibitor according to one or more of the preceding claims,characterized in that said cardboard sheet (11), has at a region thereofarranged to form by folding the bottom (20) of said base semi-container(24), parallel second slots (15) which define a central portion (16)and, at the sides of said central portion (16), said dedicated portions(17) comprising folding guides constituted by parallel pressed lines(39, said pressed lines (39) allowing to obtain by folding supportingcomponents, with a U-shaped cross-section, forming said supporting legs(28) are formed.
 5. The container/exhibitor of claim 4 , characterizedin that it comprises tabs (19) formed in said central portion (16) bycutting, each one of said tabs (19) having a free end (36) which iswider than the rest of the tab (19), shaped holes (37) associated withretention tabs (38) formed in each one of said dedicated portions (17),each one of said legs (28) further comprising longitudinal supportingcomponents (41) inserted inside said supporting components obtained byfolding said dedicated portions (17) and subsequently inserting each ofsaid tabs (19) of the central portion (16) in a corresponding one ofsaid shaped holes (37), in which it is retained by interlocking inassociation with a respective one of said retention tabs (38) whichretains the corresponding tab free end (36).
 6. The container/exhibitoraccording to the preceding claims, characterized in that it is made byfolding of a single fully recyclable material sheet (11) assembled byinterlocking.